From Huffington Post.
Rob Bliss of Rob Bliss Creative makes viral videos for a living and decided to use his craft to shine a light on street harassment, a pervasive issue affecting females around the world. Partnering with actress Soshana B. Roberts and Hollaback, a nonprofit movement launched by activists to end street harassment, Bliss packaged his production as a PSA and offers viewers a different perspective on the problem.
Rob Bliss walked in front of Soshana B. Roberts carrying a camera in his backpack for ten hours as she carried two microphones, one in each hand, to record the street harassment directed at her in New York City. Over 100 catcalls were sent her way, including a couple of stalkers who walked with her down the street, one saying nothing for five minutes while he walked by her side.
It has been a lot of years, but I lived in Chicago and San Francisco and worked in the downtown areas of both cities and remember very similar experiences. Including the stalking.
This really needs to change. Hollaback! is working to do so. They explain what street harassment is all about:
At its core is a power dynamic that constantly reminds historically subordinated groups (women and LGBTQ folks, for example) of their vulnerability to assault in public spaces. Further, it reinforces the ubiquitous sexual objectification of these groups in everyday life. Street harassment can be sexist, racist, transphobic, homophobic, ableist, sizeist and/or classist. It is an expression of the interlocking and overlapping oppressions we face and it functions as a means to silence our voices and “keep us in our place.”